


Stuck on You

by bfunsolvable



Category: Buzzfeed: Worth It (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bfunsolvable/pseuds/bfunsolvable
Summary: A love story centered around post-it notes.OR: The one where Andrew misses Steven so much that he leaves a post-it note on his desk, and it goes from there.OR:Nobody:Absolutely nobody:Andrew: Steven and I are just friendsAlso Andrew: Steven is the most precious, most beautiful boy on Earth and I love him
Relationships: Andrew Ilnyckyj & Steven Lim, Andrew Ilnyckyj/Steven Lim
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on my tumblr @/bfunsolvable
> 
> also if you’re either steven or andrew i’m sorry pls don’t read this

**IT STARTS ON A TUESDAY**. Andrew is sitting at his Buzzfeed desk, dragging his computer mouse across the screen in an attempt to seem more productive than he actually is. He checks the time, on average, one million times per sixty seconds. It’s well past nine in the morning and Steven should be here by now. He’s late and being late is _not_ a Steven Lim move. He’s the first one in the door in the mornings, usually with an iced matcha latte and some breakfast pastry – and, if Andrew is lucky, which most days he is, Steven’s got one cup of black coffee with his name on it, too. 

Andrew checks his phone again, waiting for a message about the highway being backed up or some other legitimate excuse and a selfie of him with a drink carrier (Andrew has **really** gotten used to that free coffee). When he’s once more greeted with _no new notifications_ , he pushes his chair back and stands from his desk, ready to go circle around the Los Angeles office for the third? fourth? time in search of his favorite foodie. Zach, who’s sitting at the desk next to him, gives Andrew a knowing look, an eyebrow raised in what is probably amusement, but strikes Andrew as an accusation.

“What?” Andrew asks, harsher than intended. “I need to go to the bathroom,” his words are mumbled, the lie only half attempted. Andrew _knows_ that Zach knows he’s lying, but thankfully, Zach doesn’t press the situation any farther. In typical Kornfeld fashion, he offers a casual shrug, and returns his attention to the screen in front of him, where he’s editing a new Try Guys video. 

Andrew leaves the row of desks, hoping that Zach doesn’t notice when he heads _left_ towards Steven’s desk, instead of _right_ toward the restrooms. The entire situation makes him feel rather childish, like he’s a schoolgirl waiting for her crush, but that doesn’t stop him, and it certainly doesn’t stop the frown from appearing on his face when he spots the empty desk. Still, Andrew walks over, looking around as if Steven were hiding and would appear out of nowhere if Andrew just kept searching. Andrew knows that he’s not here– none of his stuff is either and there’s not a half empty latte nearby so, realistically, Steven probably isn’t within a 10-mile radius of the office. (It’s Steven Lim 101 that wherever Steven is, there’s some sort of fancy beverage, too). 

“He’s not here yet,” Adam confirms, his soft voice pulling Andrew out of his thoughts. When Andrew turns to look at him, he slides the black headphones from over his ears and onto his neck.

Andrew, like an adult, has to fight the urge to roll his eyes. For a brief moment, he wonders how obvious it is to, well, just about everybody that Steven–or the lack thereof, rather–has soured his mood. Adam’s smile, like Zach’s, tells Andrew that he’s more transparent than he thought. “I have something to talk to him about,” he says after a moment, and motions vaguely to the empty desk. 

“I can pass on a message, if you want,” his friend offers. 

“No,” Andrew protests, too loud and too fast. “I’ll just–” he looks down at Steven’s desk again, and when he spots a yellow notepad next to his keyboard, he gets an idea: “I’ll just leave him a note.” He grabs the pack of sticky notes and a permanent marker from one of Steven’s desk drawers–he wouldn’t mind, Andrew tells himself–and, in what has to be the world’s messiest handwriting, scribbles a message. 

**Come find me. Need to talk to you – Andrew**

Satisfied with this solution, Andrew sticks it straight in the middle of Steven’s monitor. There’s no way for him to miss it. Feeling slightly better about his day, knowing that the note would spark Steven’s curiosity and bring him to Andrew before long, he smiles at Adam–actually _smiles_ – then waves, and heads back to his desk. Maybe, just maybe, he will be able to get some work done now. 

“Steven say why he was late this morning?” Zach asks casually, upon his return.

“No, he’s not here yet,” Andrew replies easily as he takes his seat, and pulls his chair closer to the desk. “I left him a note.”

“Interesting.” Zach says, without peeling his gaze from the screen in front of him. “Because, you know, Steven’s desk isn’t on the way to the bathroom.”

At that, Andrew feels a sudden rush of heat. His cheeks burn and he knows he’s been caught. Fucking Zach. 

“ _Busted_.”

## -

By lunchtime, when there’s still no sign of Steven, Andrew has to accept the fact that he’s probably not going to show up before the day is over. This does not go well. He eats alone at his desk, moodily stabbing his leftovers with a plastic fork. Andrew isn’t even sure _why_ he’s so bothered by the fact that he hasn’t seen Steven today, just that he is. They’re not even that close. They’ve only filmed a couple episodes of _Worth It_ so far and Andrew wouldn’t exactly classify them as best friends. For some reason, though, having Steven around makes the long workday go by faster.

It’s a little before one in the afternoon when he finally caves. He’s dialing Steven’s number from memory, bottom lip pulled anxiously between his teeth as he waits for the familiar answering _click_. (In the meantime, he fails to notice the look that Zach gives him. It’s probably for the best.)

“– Hello?” Steven answers. 

His voice sounds different, Andrew notices almost immediately. Worry settles as a heavy stone in the pit of his stomach, his mouth curling into a frown. He’s so preoccupied by this small detail, that he doesn’t hear the question until Steven repeats himself. “Andrew? Hello? You there?”

“Yeah, hey,” Andrew finally replies, lamely. 

Neither of them know exactly what to say. Andrew is not one to casually talk on the phone with somebody, a fact that Steven is well aware of. Eventually, though, Andrew clears his throat, “I, uh. I was just calling because you aren’t at work today.” Honesty is the best policy, he supposes. “Wanted to make sure that you were, like, still alive. You know.”

He can practically _hear_ the smile on Steven’s face. “Oh, thanks dude. That’s sweet of you.” There’s a rustling on the other line and a muted cough, before Steven speaks again, “I’m just sick.”

“Yeah, I gathered that,” Andrew states softly. He’s glad to hear that it’s nothing major, but he’s still bummed at the news. Passingly, he wonders if Steven will be feeling well enough to come to the office tomorrow. “What are your symptoms? Do you have a fever? Do you need anything? I can stop at your apartment after I get off,” Andrew rattles off suddenly, to both his surprise and Zach’s, who’s been subtly eavesdropping the entire time. 

“You don’t have to,” is Steven’s first response. Andrew is not surprised at this in the slightest; Steven, he’s noticed, hates making anybody feel inconvenienced. But both of them know that Andrew wouldn’t have suggested it if he didn’t want to. “I’m fine, I’ve just been in bed all day.”

“I’ll let you know when I’m on my way,” Andrew says as a final response, ignoring any and all protesting from the Lim boy on the other end of the line. “I’ve got to go, though. See you later.”

He hangs up before Steven can try and change his mind. “Shut up, Zach,” Andrew says without turning around to face the man next to him, as he slides the phone back into his pocket.

“Tell your boyfriend I said hi.”

Andrew only ends up sticking around for about another hour before he calls it quits. He’s gotten all of his work done for the day, which is surprising considering the note his morning started on, and he’s tired of responding to pointless emails. The moment the clock strikes two, he’s out of the door before Zach can even say goodbye.

 **STEVEN**  
You don’t have to come over.

 **STEVEN**  
I don’t want you to get sick.

 **ANDREW**  
I’ll be fine. Just try not to die before I get there.

 **ANDREW**  
Do you need medicine or anything?

His last message is still sitting on _delivered_ ; a fact that causes an unfamiliar sensation to fill his chest. It feels like he’s swallowed hot coffee too fast, and it’s burned the back of his throat. He types a number of follow-up texts–half in usual Andrew Ilnyckyj style, (gently) bullying Steven for abandoning him the day that they’re supposed to finish planning the rest of the Worth It locations for the season, and half that border on the line of Worried Mom Friend–but decides against it. He’s halfway to Steven’s apartment when he decides to take a quick detour, remembering how he and Steven once offhandedly discussed wanting to try a new restaurant. Since food always makes his friend feel better, Andrew figures it’s a win for the both of them.

“Jeez, Steven,” is the first thing that comes out of his mouth when the front door opens. 

The man that’s standing before him is merely a ghost of Steven. His hair is splayed in every direction, and between the sweatpants and the blanket that is wrapped around his shoulders, it only adds to the sickly vibe that he’s got going on. “Hey,” he croaks softly. 

“No offense, dude, but you look terrible.”

“Wow, thank you,” Steven deadpans, his tone monotonous. Andrew has never seen him like this before, and it’s a thought that makes him sad. He misses his cheery friend–and, yes, okay, he admits that he is _slightly_ fond of his coworker, but strictly in a platonic way–and wants to make him feel better. 

“You never texted me back.” Before Andrew knows it, he’s holding up the paper bag full of food. He shakes it slightly, not wanting to spill the food inside, but almost as if to say, see, I’ve got a reason. “Told you that I’d check on you.”

“I was asleep. Your knocking woke me up.”

Andrew merely shrugs. The two are looking at each other, each unflinching in their own way. Andrew feels an overwhelming urge to swaddle his weirdly tall friend like a goddamn baby and take care of him until Steven’s back to his normal happy, and annoying, self; all the while, Steven is trying to not read too far into the fact that Andrew went out of his way to check up on him. (He’s not doing so well with that.)

Finally, Steven caves: “Come in.” 

—

The next morning, Andrew is disappointed to find that Steven is still not back at the office. He had expected this though–he had only stuck around his apartment for a few minutes, just long enough to fill Steven in on the office chatter and to tell him that Zach said to feel better, because Steven looked like he was ready to pass out at any given moment-so, really, he’s fine. 

Even Zach notices. “You seem to be in a better mood today,” his friend says, drawing Andrew’s attention from his phone. Zach leans back in his chair, stretching his back as he yawns, before asking if Steven was feeling any better.

If there’s a hidden meaning behind the question, Andrew either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. He just shakes his head, a small frown on his face as he answers, “No, he’s still pretty sick. I’ll probably check on him again tonight.”

Andrew’s pleasant mood carries through to the end of his workday. He even ventures to eat lunch with Zach and the other Try Guys hooligans in the makeshift cafeteria. Zach and his boyfriend Eugene are too cute for him, though, as they cuddle up to one another and talking about their date plans, so Andrew leaves early to go prepare for filming the Unsolved postmortem episode he agreed to do. It’s a nice change of pace, if Andrew’s honest. Ryan is fun to hang out with, albeit sort of dramatic, but at least now Andrew better understands why Shane never shuts up about him when he’s not around. 

In the end, Steven is out of the office for two more days. Like the first time, Andrew checks on him every afternoon and brings him dinner. He hates trying to find something to eat when he’s sick and hopes that he’s making Steven’s life easier, or at least that’s what he tells Zach when he asks about their nightly visits. (In reality, Andrew _might_ just miss seeing Steven’s face every day – not that it’s anybody else’s business, right?)

By the time Steven comes back, Andrew has forgotten all about the yellow sticky note on his computer monitor. He’s running a couple minutes later than he usually does, and he is pleasantly surprised to find that Steven is waiting for him. Steven’s sitting in his desk chair, leaned back as he tries to balance one of Andrew’s pens under his nose. It’s a rather soft moment, and Andrew hates to ruin it, but he really needs to get some work done today. 

“Uh, what are you doing there, bud?” Andrew questions, a soft laugh following suit. 

His presence apparently startles Steven, who bolts up almost instantly, the pen falling onto his lap. “I was–” he starts, panic flooding his voice as he stands up, “–Here.” He grabs a to-go cup that Andrew failed to notice before, evidentially too distracted by his _Worth It_ counterpart, and passes it to him. “I was waiting for you so that I could give you this,” he explains, refusing to meet Andrew’s gaze, instead taking in the sight of the desk in front of him. It’s neater than his own, that’s for sure. “Also,” he clears his throat, having the feeling that Andrew is waiting for him to continue, “I wanted to say thank you. You know, for making sure that I wasn’t dead for the last week.” 

“Oh,” Andrew’s smiling at that. He looks down at the coffee now in his hand, having _just_ finished his own (Steven’s absence meant that Andrew had to start caffeinating himself in the mornings, but he would never tell Steven that). He finds himself glad that he threw away the cup on his way in, and raises the new container slightly, almost as a nod, “Thanks. I needed this. And, hey, I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Yeah,” Steven drawls out the word. He meets Andrew’s gaze, finally, and they stare at each a solid thirty seconds before he suddenly realizes that he’s still blocking Andrew’s desk. He steps to the side, shoves his hands into his back pockets, offers a rushed out _AlrightI’llSeeYouLater_ and walks away.

“Yeah, you too,” Andrew says, eyebrows furrowing at Steven’s hasty departure. _What a weird guy_ , he thinks, turning to watch Steven cross the office space. When Steven turns to look back at him, Andrew offers a small wave before taking his seat. 

“Maybe turn down the heart eyes if you don’t want him to know,” Zach speaks up for the first time since Andrew’s arrival, he’s got his head tilted in a certain way and there’s a sparkle in his eyes and Andrew feels, once more, like he’s been caught. 

“Shut up, Zach,” Andrew actually rolls his eyes this time, as he scrolls through his unread emails. He fights the urge to look around, to make sure that nobody else heard Zach’s comment, because he knows that will look more suspicious than anything. So, instead, he feigns innocence, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, please,” his coworker snorts, “You turn into a lost puppy whenever he’s around.”

“Steven and I are just friends,” Andrew frowns, finally swiveling in his chair to face Zach, who offers an eye roll of his own. That just makes Andrew even more defensive, the words spilling out of him before he can even think to stop them: “We’re not- I don’t- I’m not gay.” _Subtle, Andrew_ , he thinks to himself.

“I didn’t say you were.”

Zach has a point there. Andrew hates it because he’s right, of course he’s right, Andrew is the one putting words in Zach’s mouth, which just _annoys_ him even further. “We’re just friends. I do _not_ have a crush on–”

“Andrew.”

Andrew spins around in his seat upon hearing his name, almost so fast that he wonders if he gave himself whiplash. Standing a few feet away, is Steven, looking as beautiful as ever. There’s a curious gaze on his features, and Andrew wonders if he heard and _how_ much he heard and _God, this could ruin everything_. He wishes the floor would open up underneath of him and swallow him whole. But it doesn’t, so instead he quickly prays to any deity that’s listening that Steven hasn’t been standing there very long. 

“Um, yes?” Steven holds a hand up; there’s a yellow sticky note stuck to his right index finger, and Andrew can just barely make out the look of his own handwriting. He breathes a sigh of relief at the realization, “Oh, that.”

“You wanted to talk to me about something?” Steven asks. 

“Yes,” Andrew shakes his head, “Yes, absolutely, yeah.” A beat passes, and Andrew makes a mental note to flip Zach off the _moment_ Steven walks away when he hears stifled laughter from behind him. He’s never going to hear the end of this.

Steven, bless his heart, doesn’t seem to notice Andrew’s weird behavior, or if he does, he doesn’t question it. Either way, Andrew is thankful. He looks at Steven, whose eyes meet his own. His head is tilted slightly to the side, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He looks stupidly adorable, Andrew notices. 

“Um... so, what is it?” Steven finally asks, and it occurs to Andrew that he’s been staring this entire time. 

“Oh, right,” Andrew says, clasping his hands in an attempt to momentarily stall while he thinks of something important enough to leave a note about. “It was a new idea,” he says slowly, “for… a Worth It episode.” He’s rather pleased with the lie, thinking that it sounded believable enough. “Yes,” Andrew continues, “That was it. I wanted to tell you that we should do an episode on… um. Tacos.”

“Tacos?” Steven repeats. Honestly, he seems sort of confused about the seemingly urgent nature of a suggestion for a taco-themed episode, but if he is, he doesn’t say anything to Andrew about it. Instead, he smiles. It’s a soft smile and Andrew melts. “I love tacos,” Steven admits, “That’s a good idea. I’ll check out some places. Thanks, Andy.”

(The nickname doesn’t even register with Andrew until Steven is already across the office and back at his own desk.)

After that incident, post-it notes begin to make more frequent appearances around the office. Neither Andrew nor Steven bring it up, but it’s definitely _something_. And, if the rest of their friends at Buzzfeed are annoyed with the way that two of them pass notes back and forth like they’re in high school, nobody says anything. 

Really, it starts the morning that Andrew comes in and finds his usual coffee at his desk. This time, though, it’s lacking his favorite Tasty employee, and instead has a vibrant note stuck to the to-go cup. 

_I have an early meeting but here’s your coffee :) - Steven_

Andrew carefully peels the post-it off of the cup and sticks it back onto the frame of his monitor. He looks at it periodically throughout the day, smiling at the messy signature that graced the bottom. When he comes back from lunch, he makes a slight detour to Steven’s desk. He knows Steven isn’t expecting a response, which makes it that much funnier to Andrew when he sticks two blank sticky notes as a pair of eyes and a handful of them in the shape of a smile on Steven’s computer screen. And, as they say, the rest is history.

_Did you know in Switzerland it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig? They get lonely :(_

**Have an egg-cellent day**

_Heart attacks are more likely to happen on a Monday :/ (Be careful)_

**I really value our friend-chip**  
(This is Steven’s favorite, and not just because Andrew’d also given him a miniature bag of Lay’s potato chips)

After a few weeks pass, the number of post-its that Andrew encounters daily starts to dwindle down. It had to happen at some point, though, since Andrew himself has run through just about every food-related pun that he knows, and even Steven can’t think of any more fun facts. 

Andrew doesn’t know why, but one day before he leaves, he attaches a **let’s get drinks** note to Steven’s desk. He thinks about it the rest of the night, tossing and turning as he tries to fall asleep. He doesn’t know how Steven is going to respond, or what he’ll think, but when Steven tells him that he loves the idea of doing a cocktail episode the next morning and _would Andrew be able to take the lead on that one_?, Andrew is more disappointed than relieved. But, he is still too chicken to correct his pretty friend, so before long, they’re sitting at Davey Wayne’s, in some weird hammock chairs that Steven seems to enjoy because he’s swinging back and forth in it as he sips on an old fashioned. 

Steven doesn’t drink very often, that much is obvious to Andrew, because his beloved friend has already progressed to the giggly stage of drunk. His fingers knot in the material of Andrew’s swing, pulling him closer. Andrew momentarily allows his mind to wander, his eyes never leaving Steven’s face. He’s beautiful, he really is. And he’s kind. The past couple of months, they’ve really gotten close and now all Andrew can think about is how easy their relationship is. About how easy it _would_ be. 

Sure, Steven is a lot at times. A lot of the time, actually. He’s always excited and eager and sociable, and Andrew often finds his social battery drained before he even gets out of bed most mornings. He doesn’t really like most people, which is funny considering the career path that he’s chosen, but Steven. Man. Steven is something else. 

(He moves to take another drink, hoping that the dim lighting of the bar will keep the blush now adorning his cheeks hidden.)

“Let’s play Never Have I Ever,” Steven suggests suddenly, capturing Andrew’s attention. And then Steven is gazing at Andrew instead of the camera, and —

“Oh, God,” is all that Andrew intelligently thinks to say. There are a number of ways this could go wrong; a number of ways for Andrew to reveal more than he wants to. All it would take is one _never have I ever had a crush on a coworker_ , or one _never have I ever thought Steven Lim was the most beautiful boy on the planet, and never have I ever wanted to kiss him every moment of every day_ —though even Andrew admits that would be far too specific for Steven to think of right now. So, even though he’s panicking, he smiles, which Steven takes as a good sign to start the game.

“Never have I ever been arrested!” Steven almost shouts, the words pouring out of him. Andrew isn’t sure where he thought this conversation would go first, but it’s certainly not to criminal records. Steven gazes expectantly at Andrew, almost as if waiting for him to drink, which causes him to laugh. 

“I’ve never been arrested,” he confirms, adjusting the grip he has on his drink. Andrew pauses a moment to think, before pushing Steven’s foot with his own. “Okay. Never have I ever dyed my hair.” He knows it’s a low blow, and he’s always hated those players who target someone specifically, but it’s still true.

“You’re a cheater,” Steven whines, but lifts the glass up to his lips nevertheless. Andrew has to physically pull his gaze away from the sight of Steven swallowing. The game pretty much falls apart after that, and soon they’re climbing out of the admittedly comfortable swings so Adam can test the drink before they leave.

At the next location, Clifton’s, when they’re presented with a rather impressive looking Scorpion Bowl, Andrew finds himself slightly worried about the combination of drunk Steven Lim and fire, but then Steven is smiling at him again and bumping his arm against Andrew’s and, God, all bets are off. 

At the end of the night, when they’re both significantly less sober than they started, something seems to shift for Andrew. They’re in the back of Steven’s car, pressed together despite Adam having gotten dropped off several minutes ago, and then Steven is leaning his head on Andrew’s shoulder. Neither say anything at first, until their producer Matt pulls the car to a stop at an intersection and the red light that washes over the two of them makes everything feel just right.

“Hey.... hey Andrew,” Steven mumbles softly, words slightly slurred together. 

Andrew’s eyes are closed, his head tipped back against the seat. His hands are intertwined in his lap, and he’s comfortable. So comfortable. He just hums in response when he hears his name. 

“I like hanging out with you,” Steven states, and it feels like a confession. Andrew looks hesitantly up at the driver, because the moment between them feels intimate and he doesn’t know how he feels about someone else listening in, but he knows how he feels about Steven so, fuck it.

“I like hanging out with you, too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yall i forgot to upload the second part sorry

## stuck on you (pt. 2/x)

> pairing: steven x andrew (bfwi)

> prompt: pt II of [stuck on you](https://bfunsolvable.tumblr.com/post/621678436288708608/stuck-on-you-pt-1x)

> word count: 4.1k

_“I like hanging out with you,” Steven states, and it feels like a confession._

_Andrew looks hesitantly up at the driver, because the moment between them feels intimate and he doesn’t know how he feels about someone else listening in, but he knows how he feels about Steven so, fuck it._

_“I like hanging out with you, too.”_

* * *

After Andrew is dropped off at his apartment, his brain replays their conversation in the car constantly. It’s almost pathetic — the way that it keeps him up that night, tossing and turning as he tries to fully analyze Steven’s words. He eventually goes so far as to text Zach, even though it’s nearing two in the morning and he doesn’t expect a response any time soon. 

_Steven said that he likes hanging out with me tonight._

_What do you think he means by that?_

It sounds vaguely high school-esque, though Andrew can’t find it within himself to care. Instead, he checks his notifications obsessively over the next ten minutes. He’s about to give up, about to put his phone away and just stare at the tiles of his bedroom ceiling until morning comes (or until he succumbs to the exhaustion, whichever comes first) when there’s a _ding!_

Except it’s not Zach, as he expected. 

It’s Steven.

**Can’t sleep. :(**

_Me either._

The next thing that Andrew knows, his screen flashes with an incoming call. Oh, _fuck_. He nervously fumbles with his phone as he moves to swipe the answer call button and put it up to his ear. 

“...Hello?”

“Hey.” Steven’s voice is quiet, but Andrew can still tell that he sounds more sober than when he left him. 

“What’s up?” Andrew finally asks after a beat of silence. He’s really not sure what to say, or even why Steven called, but the static of the phone line and the sound of Steven’s soft breathing on the other end is strangely comforting.

“I wasted too much time earlier taking drunk selfies and now I’m sober and can’t fall asleep,” Steven’s voice comes out as a whine.

“Oh, so you just decided to bother me in the middle of the night instead?” Andrew replies with a laugh. He pulls the phone away momentarily to switch speakerphone on and tosses his device onto the bed next to him. 

In a way, it feels more natural. Like Steven is actually in the room with him. 

“That’s so thoughtful,” Andrew continues, pulling the blanket closer to his body. 

“I know, right? I’m the best.”

(The statement makes Andrew laugh again. If only his friend knew just how true that statement was.)

A familiar silence settles over the two of them in the meantime, save for Steven sighing in dramatic Lim fashion ever so often. It almost seems as if he _wants_ Andrew to ask what’s bothering him — so he does.

“What’s on your mind, Stevie?”

Steven doesn’t answer the question right away. Instead, he sighs (which, honestly, Andrew expected). “Just... I don’t know,” he says quietly, “I’m just thinking.” 

Andrew frowns in the slightest. Steven isn’t normally one that has to be pried for conversation, especially with him. Whatever is on his mind, it must be weighing pretty heavily. 

“About...?” He presses. 

In the perfect world, Andrew thinks, Steven Lim would confess that he can’t stop thinking about Andrew and that’s the reason he can’t fall asleep. 

But the world is far from perfect, so instead of recreating a scene from a Hallmark rom-com, Steven answers that he’s reflecting on his career. 

The confession stops Andrew cold. He’s always known that someday they would stop being coworkers — Steven is far too talented and destined for so much more than being stuck at _Buzzfeed_ for the rest of his life. But, God, he didn’t think it would be _this_ soon. 

“What do you mean?” 

As it turns out, Andrew worries himself for no reason: “I just can’t believe people like our show as much as they do,” Steven says. “We’re not even finished filming this season and people are already asking when the next one is coming out.”

 _Oh_. “Yeah,” Andrew props his head up onto the palm of his hand, “We’re lucky.”

“I’m glad that I get to do it all with you.” 

Andrew is more thankful than ever that they’re a mile away from each other, and that Steven can’t see the vibrant blush developing on his cheeks. He’s a goner. An absolute goner. 

“Yeah, me too.”

The next thing that Andrew knows, he’s waking up to the sound of cars honking outside his apartment building. He doesn’t remember falling asleep — doesn’t remember saying goodbye to Steven or hanging up, either, so he’s entirely unsurprised when he checks his phone and finds that it’s dead.

By the time he brushes his teeth and starts brewing a pot of coffee, it’s charged enough to turn back on. What he finds is six unread messages.

 **ZACH**  
I’m not an expert, but I think he might mean that he likes hanging out with you.

 **ZACH**  
What do YOU think that he means by that?

 **ZACH**  
Since you’re just friends, it probably doesn’t matter anyway. Right? ;-)

 **ANDREW**  
Thanks for the help, smartass.

 **STEVEN**  
Good morning!

 **STEVEN**  
Can’t believe I fell asleep 😅

 **STEVEN**  
Hopefully you couldn’t hear my snoring through the phone

 **ANDREW**  
As if I haven’t heard you snore before.

 **STEVEN**  
You know what

 **ANDREW**  
What?

 **STEVEN**  
You’re lucky you’re cute.

(If Andrew screenshots the text message and forwards it to Zach — well, that’s really none of your business.)

The rest of the weekend passes uneventfully. Most of his days are spent watching Netflix and recovering from their night out (which is how Andrew _knows_ that he’s getting older). Before long, it’s Monday and he’s back in the Buzzfeed office. 

As their routine goes, Steven greets him with breakfast, a to-go coffee, and a confession of being violently hungover Saturday morning. Then, Steven leaves to go do some work with Ryan, of Unsolved fame, and Andrew is left to his own devices (and relentless teasing from Zach).

Around two, after Andrew comes back from a late lunch meeting, he notices a bright yellow sticky note on his desk that makes his day. He’s admittedly missed all of Steven’s fun facts and messy handwriting.

 **Are you from Tennessee? You’re the only Ten-I-See**. 

It’s a fucking pickup line. His face heats up almost instantly, the blush spreading across his cheeks and down his neck. There’s – it couldn’t – Steven wasn’t _flirting_ with Andrew, was he? 

_No, of course not_ , Andrew rations with himself. It had to be something else. Or _someone_ else. Right?

“Your boyfriend left you a note,” Zach must sense the inner turmoil that Andrew’s experiencing, because he breaks his attention from the computer screen in front of him and speaks up.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Andrew answers immediately, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. And then he realizes what exactly it was that Zach said. And what it means. That Steven did, in fact, leave the note.

“Shit,” Andrew curses under his breath. He peels the post-it from his desktop and shows it to Zach. “What do I do?”

“Well, I know this might be kind of a crazy idea,” Zach starts.

“Uh huh?”

“You could always just… leave another sticky note for him,” Zach says, before gasping dramatically. 

Andrew rolls his eyes in response. “Where would I be without your _brilliant_ ideas, Zach?” He replies, monotonously.

But Zach, of course, has a point, so Andrew digs through his top drawer for a sharpie and his pack of colorful sticky notes.

_If you were a Transformer, you would be Optimus Fine._

It’s a dumb pick-up line that he finds on Google, but he thinks Steven will appreciate it, nevertheless. So, when his friend walks past their grouping of desks with Ryan on the way to the elevator, Andrew hurries over to his computer. 

“What are you doing?”

Adam’s voice startles Andrew, causing him to flinch. “Jeez, dude,” he curses, “I- what?”

Instead of answering, Adam looks pointedly at the sticky note stuck to his finger, before meeting Andrew’s gaze again. 

“Oh, right,” Andrew relaxes slightly. “Uh, just a note for Steven?” It comes out as a question. 

(Thankfully, Adam doesn’t further question his behavior, or the content of the note, just shrugs and turns back to his computer.)

Steven must enjoy Andrew’s reply because, just as before, the sticky notes re-emerge in their daily routine. The messages waver between harmless compliments and pick-up lines that make Andrew blush when he rereads them throughout the day. 

**I'm not a photographer but I can picture us together.**

**I know we’re not socks but I still think we’d make a great pair.**

**I hope you know CPR because you take my breath away.**

By Friday, there’s a stack of notes from Steven in Andrew’s desk drawer. The niceties have gone to his head, really, because he even goes as far as leaving an invitation to hang out on Steven’s monitor while the latter is away at lunch. This time, he hopes to avoid the whole, you know, drinking-themed episode confusion and sticks with a simple: **Wanna hang out tonight?**

Still, as he watches Steven walk across the office floor in the direction of his desk, Andrew debates about rushing over and taking the note back; then, it’s too late, because Steven sits down and Andrew has to find something to pass the time with, instead of drilling holes into the side of Steven’s head with his gaze.

Honestly, Andrew expects to get a note in response before long. Steven is generally an excitable person, and Andrew doubts that he would wait around until the end of the day to confirm (or deny) their plans. As it turns out, Steven does him one better, because fifteen minutes later, he comes over.

“Hey, Andrew.”

 _Oh, shit_. Andrew turns to face Steven, who’s holding the note in his hand. “Uh, hey. Hey, Steven.” He leans back to meet his friend’s gaze, “what’s up?” 

Steven shakes the finger that Andrew’s note is attached to. “What did you have in mind?” He asks, head tilting to the side in an adorable way that makes Andrew’s heart melt. “I’m free tonight, so… yeah.” He smiles, “I’d love to hang out.”

Andrew grins at that. And he’s well prepared for the question, because he spent the hour before he’d worked up the courage to even _write_ the post-it scouring the internet for things to do around town. “I was thinking,” he starts, “The Museum of Art has that new exhibit you’ve been talking about.” Then, a shrug that Andrew _hopes_ appears casual, “Maybe we could go?”

There’s a beat of silence as Steven stares at Andrew. It’s definitely outside of their normal realm of Netflix watching or restaurant hopping, he knows, and _maybe_ Steven wouldn’t think that Andrew is museum material – though he’s not quite sure what that means – so, really. Andrew is freaking out.

Then, Steven’s face breaks out in a smile. “I’d love to. That sounds great, Andy.”

“Great!” Andrew says, his voice rising from the excitement. He clears his throat, trying to sound less eager, “Yeah, great. So, I can just drive us after we’re done here? Or we can meet there? What do you think?”

He knows Zach is going to tease him for his trend of word-vomiting whenever he’s around Steven, but who fucking cares. They’re going out tonight. _Alone_. Without the cameras and without someone else to third wheel. Andrew could just about _explode_. 

“You can drive! It’ll probably be easier to find parking that way anyway,” Steven smiles. “I’m excited! Can’t wait,” he adds, before turning on his heel and heading back to his desk.

Andrew breathes a sigh of relief as he watches Steven leave. Then, from behind him, he hears: “Wow, I’m actually impressed.” 

He swivels in his seat, only to unsurprisingly find Zach smiling at him in that _I know something you don’t_ sort of way that he does. “You managed to ask him out on a date. Congrats, man.”

“I-” Andrew stutters, flushing. “It’s _not_ a date!”

(He still doesn’t convince Zach. Or himself.)

Before the end of the night, Steven and Andrew are in the semi-crowded museum, walking through the new exhibit in the Resnick Pavilion. The displays are filled with paintings of 16th century artist Qiu Ying and Andrew thinks they’re cool, sure, but watching the excitement on Steven’s face as he takes it all in – now _that’s_ a work of art. 

Which, of course, makes Andrew decidedly nervous. Enough so that he has to wipe the palms of his hands on his jeans every couple of minutes because he can’t stop thinking about how beautiful the man next to him is. But he’s fine, really. Everything is cool. Steven and Andrew spend time outside of the office together surprisingly often, so there’s really nothing different about tonight than any other time they’ve filmed for an episode of _Worth It_ together.

Except, that’s not true. Because Steven is positively glowing under these museum lights and with _every_ new installation, he excitedly talks about what his favorite part about it is and about how much fun he’s having and fuck, man. Andrew is in so much trouble. 

“The colors,” Steven starts, catching Andrew’s attention. “They’re just so vibrant.”

“Yeah,” Andrew intelligently adds. And hey, his lack of response isn’t _really_ his fault, because in that moment, his fingers just so happened to brush against Steven’s again for the millionth time since they paid for their tickets and he’s mostly focused on trying not to collapse in the middle of the museum floor. 

Then, something happens.

Steven grabs Andrew’s hand, like properly _grabs_ his hand, and intertwines their fingers together. What’s more, is that he doesn’t say anything at all about his action, just continues walking into the next room of the exhibit. 

And, okay, maybe Andrew was wrong. About what he said to Zach. About _everything_ he’s said to Zach. Because this is definitely a date and Andrew is _definitely_ not straight. 

Yes, the realization comes a little late – especially given the way he’s been freaking out about Steven flirting with him for the last week, but it’s here. And, if Andrew can be honest, it freaks him out a little. A public museum isn’t necessarily the best place to have an Earth-shattering revelation about your sexuality. 

In his growing anxiety and next-level _confusion_ , Andrew pulls his hand from Steven’s and shoves it into his jacket pockets. 

Andrew doesn’t fully process the weight of his fuck up until they pass a new painting that he’s _sure_ Steven likes. It’s got the, you know, colors and everything – whatever. It’s nice to look at. But instead of some excited spiel, Steven is silent. 

“I think this might be my favorite one,” Andrew says, tilting his head to look at the man next to him. “What do you think?”

Steven doesn’t meet Andrew’s gaze, and the hole in his chest continues to grow until it swallows his internal organs and Andrew thinks he could just die right here and now. 

Eventually, Steven just shrugs. “Yeah, it’s nice.”

The rest of their date pretty much crumbles after that. Not only because of Andrew’s complete rejection of Steven (which, despite Andrew’s original intent, is probably how it appeared to the latter), but because they’ve reached the end of the installation and the museum is closing anyway and fuck. 

Andrew feels like shit. 

When he drops Steven off at his car twenty minutes later, they still haven’t talked about _it._ Steven just offers a soft _thanks for inviting me_ , and then climbs out of the car. 

Andrew, meanwhile, is spiraling because what the _fuck_ just happened and why would _Steven_ try to hold his hand and _why_ is Zach not answering the phone?

“Andrew?” is the first thing that Zach asks when he _does_ pick up the phone, five minutes and several missed calls later. 

He sounds confused, rightfully so, because they’re definitely not the type of friends to casually chat on the phone. 

“Is everything okay? I thought – aren’t you out with Steven?”

“I just dropped him off at his car and I need to talk to you,” Andrew rattles off. He’s still sitting in the empty Buzzfeed lot and honestly, Zach is lucky that Andrew doesn’t remember how to get to his house because he would _definitely_ be on his way right now.

“About what?” Zach asks, tone taking on an air of bewilderment. “What is going on?”

“I think I’m bi.” The statement takes a massive weight off of Andrew’s chest — he’s never really thought to say the words out loud before. But it feels nice. It feels _right_.

From the stifled laugh on the other end of the phone, though, Andrew can tell that Zach would be giving him a certain _look_ if they were talking in person. “Yeah, and?”

“What?” Andrew frowns, “You don’t sound surprised?”

“Andrew, my friend,” Zach sighs, and there’s a rustling over the line before he speaks again. “First of all, it’s 2018. Nobody is straight. Second of all, you’re straight up in love with Steven and have been for months now, so, no. I am not surprised by this information.”

“–but I am proud of you for finally admitting it to yourself. That’s really great,” Zach finishes. 

Andrew’s ears are still ringing from the first bit of information, though, so the congratulations goes unnoticed. Ultimately, he’s thankful that he’s not driving because his hands are shaking so badly that he nearly drops his phone when he switches it over to speakerphone. “Is it that obvious?”

Zach doesn’t say anything, which tells Andrew everything that he needs to know. 

“He, um-” Andrew starts. “He tried to hold my hand tonight.”

“What do you mean ‘tried’?” 

“We were walking through the museum and he just, you know, tried to hold my hand. I – well, we _did_ hold hands and then I got freaked out and pulled _my_ hand away because it’s Steven.”

There are undoubtedly times when Zach has mom friend energy, and this is one of those times. He sighs in a way that makes Andrew picture him pinching the bridge of his nose, hand on hip, ready to scold his child for acting up. “You did _what_?”

“I know,” Andrew whines, dropping his head against the steering wheel. “And then,” he says, “Then, he got quiet and didn’t really say much the rest of the night and I don’t know what to do now.”

“Andrew, I love you,” Zach starts. “But, dude–” 

“I know.”

“–Steven will probably never make a move on you again. You completely shot him down.”

“Well, I-” stutters Andrew, “I didn’t _mean_ to.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’ve got to figure out how to fix this.” 

And then, there’s a _click_ and silence fills the car again.

Forty-eight hours after the failed date, it’s obvious that Andrew hasn’t yet followed Zach’s advice because things are as complicated as ever. Andrew tries to keep some air of normalcy, but all hopes of that are shattered when he gets to his desk and finds no trace of Steven, coffee, or friendly note two days in a row.

And, to make matters worse, they’re supposed to film for a new _Worth It_ episode today and Andrew can only imagine how their awkwardness is going to translate on camera.

(You’ve heard that the camera adds ten pounds, right? Well, it doesn’t stop there. Any awkward moment, any tension, is amplified ten-fold in a YouTube video.)

And then, Andrew is sitting next to Steven at some local restaurant while Adam films some B-roll footage of the kitchen area. They’re about to eat at the first price point for Andrew’s aforementioned taco-themed episode, and Steven is completely silent. Any remaining hope that Andrew had of things being _normal_ , well, they’re shattered, too.

Because it’s _now_ and this is a time that Steven would normally be talking his ear off with semi-related fun facts or really, anything that pops into his mind, but he’s quiet and Andrew knows that it’s completely and utterly his fault.

He still hasn’t told Steven about the development in his sexuality, if only because of the fact that he’s not cruel enough to bring the topic up after shutting Steven down at the museum. Andrew still doesn’t know how Steven feels or why he made a move, but he _does_ know that he misses Steven and so, before his better judgement can stop him, the words are spilling out.

“I think I’m bi.” He says, softly. He doesn’t know what he expects Steven to say; he wasn’t thinking that his bisexuality would make Steven suddenly confess his love for him, but also… he wouldn’t entirely mind it.

Andrew’s gaze bores into the sidewalk underneath his feet, and he can feel every minute painfully pass as he waits for Steven to say something. 

And then:

“Cool.”

 _That_ causes Andrew to look over at Steven, and he’s met with a signature Steven Lim smile-and-gaze combination and he knows that, somehow, everything is back to normal. For now, at least. And that’s good enough for Andrew.

“Okay, you guys ready?” Adam asks suddenly, breaking Andrew’s current train of thought and pulling his gaze away from Steven. 

“Yeah,” he smiles, “Let’s go.” 

As it turns out, the first price point is _so_ worth it. Andrew wonders if he can declare his winner before they even go to the second or third restaurant. The atmosphere, the _smell_ , everything is amazing. He’s practically drooling when the waitress places their food in front of them.

“It looks – you guys,” Steven laughs from beside him. His thigh is pressed against Andrew’s, and everything feels just right. “I hope the camera does it justice because it’s so beautiful.”

“Kinda like someone else here,” Andrew doesn’t know _why_ he says it, just that he was thinking it and honestly, part of him kind of wanted to see if he could make Steven blush. 

It turns out the answer is _yes_ , because there’s now a pink tint to his cheeks. Andrew, however, can’t resist making a joke out of the situation: “It’s me.”

(Steven laughs at that.)

Halfway through the meal, Steven slides his arm around the back of Andrew’s chair. It’s a move that he’s made several times before, basically just second nature at this point, but the closeness of Steven’s body makes Andrew go weak in the knees. Honestly, he’s just thankful that he’s sitting down this time. 

Soon, the meal is over, and Andrew is back in the driver’s seat, taking his friends and _Worth It_ counterparts back to their cars. The ride itself feels like every other time they’ve been in the car; Adam is making jokes from his spot in the backseat and Andrew spends every red-light admiring Steven in the passenger seat and the whole museum fumble isn’t a thought in his mind. 

Then, they’re at the Buzzfeed lot again. Adam, of course, is the first to say goodbye. He climbs out of the backseat without a second thought, tossing a casual _see you tomorrow!_ before shutting the door. Steven, on the other hand, doesn’t make any sort of move to leave Andrew’s car.

Instead, they watch in silence as Adam drives away. Then, Steven turns to Andrew:

“Sorry I’ve been kind of weird since the museum,” he starts. “I was in kind of a weird headspace.” 

He doesn’t offer any further explanation of this _headspace_ , and Andrew isn’t sure that he can handle this conversation tonight, so he doesn’t press the situation.

“Oh, it’s not – you’re fine.” Andrew manages to say, shaking his head.

“Alright, well,” Steven offers him a smile, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Andrew can’t find the words that he wants to say, so he just doesn’t say anything. He just watches as Steven steps out of the car and crosses the lot to his vehicle. Except, when Steven reaches his car, he turns to wave at Andrew. 

And for whatever reason, that’s the moment.

Andrew throws open his car door, heart beating in his chest because he _knows_. He fucking knows and he has to tell Steven _now_ because, as cliché as it is, he might never get another chance.

“Hey, Steven,” he calls, “Wait up!”

Steven turns at the sound of his name, hand falling back from its place on the driver’s door handle. “What’s up?” He pats the pocket of his jacket, “Did I forget something?”

Andrew is slightly out of breath by the time he reaches Steven. “Yeah,” he says, nodding, “Yeah, you did.”

Steven opens his mouth to respond, but every thought and word is lost when Andrew grabs the fabric of his shirt.

“You forgot this,” Andrew says, because he’ll be damned if he misses his rom-com moment, and pulls Steven closer to him. 

(It’s a stretch, for Andrew to meet his lips, but thankfully Steven meets him halfway.)


End file.
